10. Know your learning style
Are you dominantly a visual, aural or kinesthetic learner? Or are you a combination? Ideally you want to use all three, where and when they work best.
Your best learning style, in any moment, is the one that helps you remember (and repeat) new information most efficiently. Look for ways to incorporate this into your practice.
Some of my visual dominant students remember their song lyrics by visualizing an imaginary ‘movie’ or sequence of images as they sing through the song. Others remember their piano scales by picturing the notes on a piano keyboard. Or they remember their guitar strum patterns by envisaging a pattern of up/down arrows, etc.
I have aural dominant students who remember their musical terms/definitions by hearing (or speaking aloud) an exact quote. Others remember their place in the song by hearing music cues, chord progressions or cadences.
Some of my kinesthetic dominant students remember their song lyrics by using gestures, acting out the lyrics, or pacing around the room. Others remember their technical exercises by tapping rhythms or nodding their head. They muscle-memory the notes in the song or remember the melody by moving their hands up and down with the pitch changes.
Rather than sticking with the same learning style for every new skill you’re developing, it’s worth trying different approaches to see which one is most useful.
So, what’s the best approach? Whatever works best for you!